Deities
Deities of Athania When the first being of great power came across the Prime Material Plane, he saw the promise and potential that could be. He Who Was created the races and watched over them as more of his kind were attracted to the plane. Some were allied to his cause of letting the creations be, and others wanted more influence and control over the lesser beings. After a prolonged conflict, the being known as Gruoxhur managed to kill He Who Was. With his last bit of energy, the benevolent god created a form of shield around the Material Planes, stopping all of his fellow beings from direct, physical contact with the mortals. Gruoxhur has since wiped out any record of He Who Was, for fear of his nemesis returning to power somehow. The Greater Deities These six deities are the most commonly followed by the Athania people. It is said that they hold as much power as He Who Was did, but are unable to exert the majority of it. They instead lend some of their powers to their own faithful as they continue to shape the world. * Adeline, goddess of joy, love and beauty -The Heart, The First Rose, The Lovely One Domains: Light, Life Alignment(s): Good, Neutral Symbol: A white and blue crescent moon Adeline stands for all that is beautiful in the world, and her followers believe in living for love and loving life. To them, life is meant to be shared joyously with others, but especially with the one that makes your heart swell and beat faster. Adeline is usually depicted as a lithe elven woman with a warm skin tone, dressed in white silks. * Alarien, god of civilization, invention and law -The Inspirer, Father of Civilization Domains: Forge, Knowledge, Order Alignment(s): Lawful Symbol: A silver cogwheel with eight teeth As the Father of Civilization, Alarien is held in high regard by those in government, law and manufacturing. His followers do not build large temples to his name, instead placing many smaller shrines in public buildings and on the streets of cities and towns. Alarien is never depicted with a humanoid body, his shrines are instead filled with mechanical objects and paintings of great feats of construction. * Jeha, god of magic, art and time -The Timeless One, Lord of Magic Domains: Arcana, Knowledge, Order Alignment(s): Neutral Symbol: An hourglass with purple sand Not much is known about Jeha, though he is rumored to have had as much influence as He Who Was in the creation of the peoples of the world. Mages and artists look to Jeha for inspiration and guidance. Scholars invoke his name when working on great projects. His places of worship tend to be small but filled with grand artistic pieces, and art of him depicts him as an older, well-dressed gentleman. * Meraie, goddess of nature, harvests and the sea -The Mother, The Wild One Domains: Life, Nature, Tempest, Survival Alignment(s): Neutral Symbol: A green leaf with wavy lines As a mother watches over her children, so Meraie watches over all life on Athania, guiding and nurturing those who need it, but also not hesitant to cull and destroy when needed. All farmers and sailors pay some homage to The Mother, and her places of worship are almost always open to nature and the elements. Artistic paintings of Meraie are few and far between, though carvings and statues of the The Wild One show her gravid with child, sitting among the trees or flowers. * Serar, god of justice, light and virtue -The Radiant One, The Morning Lord, The True Domains: Light, War, Protection, Strength Alignment(s): Lawful, Good Symbol: A yellow sun with orange rays Serar stands for righteousness and justice. His followers preach standing up and fighting for the downtrodden and equality for all, but also to live virtuously. He knows that people fail to be worthy because of weakness, but expects them to try their hardest at all times. The temples of the Church of Serar are the largest and most decorated of all because of donations given by the wealthy to be redistributed as needed, and the only ones that have any kind of weekly ‘service’. Serar is always shown as a warrior in armor, usually with an image of the sun behind him. * Serinde, goddess of the dead, fate and nightmares -The Veiled One, Mistress of the Dead Domains: Grave Alignment(s): Neutral Symbol: A cracked human skull Serinde is closely attributed with death, but never its causes. She is the self-appointed shepherd of souls that pass on, is fiercely protective over her domain, and is said to be able to twist the threads of fate to some degree. Resurrection of a dead soul is not something that can happen without her approval, and she bids her followers to stamp out all undead. Her places of worship are normally near catacombs, graveyards and crypts. The Veiled One is usually depicted in long, floor length black robes and a hood, with only her eyes showing. “All lives end as they begin, following the fate laid before us by the Mistress, at the time that is meant, in the way that is ordained...” - Excerpt from The Fated Path, prayerbook of the followers of Serinde. = The Shadow Gods These four beings of power are reviled, hated and even feared by most Athanians. Of course, as happens with any peoples given free will, there are those that worship evil with their own greed and aspirations of power in mind. * Adriel, goddess of chaos, misfortune, and pain -The Black Storm, The Wicked One Domains: Trickery, Zeal Alignment(s): Chaotic, Evil Symbol: A broken golden shield Even among the greater beings beyond the understanding of mere mortals, there is always balance. Adriel is the twin sister of Adeline, and the two cannot be any more different. As the goddess of chaos and destruction, Adriel revels in the misfortune that befalls others, and constantly pushes her followers to cause said misfortune. Opposite of Adeline, she is depicted as an elven woman with gray skin, almost drow-like, wearing black silks. * Gruoxhur, god of lies, thievery and tyranny -The Horned One, Lord of Evil Domains: Trickery, Zeal Alignment(s): Chaotic Evil Symbol: A five-pointed red star, with an eye in the middle Devils bow and cater to no one, except to Gruoxhur. Even though The Horned One is forbidden from visiting his minions in the Nine Hells, he still leads the fiendish devils amid all of their plotting and scheming. * Likir, goddess of disease, murder and poisons -Mistress Murder, Lady Plague Domains: Trickery, Death Alignment(s): Lawful Evil Symbol: A green and silver dagger Likir is perhaps the most besmirched of the deities, blamed for plagues, bad harvests and even the common cold. While she has no temples (that most people know of, anyway), people will often perform superstitious activities or try various rituals in order to placate the Lady of Plagues. Assassins and other unsavory types look to Likir for good fortune on their missions, and make small shrines to her in their hideaways. * Ynzotl, god of darkness and the void. -Lord of the Night, the Endbringer Domains: Death, Entropy Alignment(s): Lawful Evil Symbol: a black and purple glass orb The Lord of the Night is as mysterious as his domain. Not much is known about Ynzotl, or his relation to the other Shadow Gods. It is said that he can grant magic-voiding powers to his followers. There have been a dozen or so cults to the Endbringer in written history, all of which were stamped out or have disappeared. Lesser Deities The following deities are less commonly known, or only worshipped by certain races or communities. * Deja, goddess of luck and prophecy, N, symbol: two dice * Honem, god of knowledge and skill, N, symbol: an open tome * Mashtu, goddess of secrets and shadow, N, symbol: a shadowy figure * Odos, patron god of orcs, CN symbol: a jagged mace * Rosach, god of battle and storms, CN symbol: a lightning bolt hitting a shield * Xodri, gnomish/dwarvish goddess of commerce and smithing, N, symbol: a coin with her profile facing left * Cesa, god of athletics and Summer, N, symbol: a winged boot. * Riela, goddess of reason and Fall, N, symbol: a red and yellow leaf. * Zepha, god of endurance and Winter, N, symbol: a fist. * Paha, goddess of change and Spring, N, symbol: three arrows in a circular loop. Titans & Demigods * Selene, moon titaness, NG, symbol: a crescent moon, older child of Adeline and Serar * Luna, moon titaness, NG, symbol: a full moon, twin child of Adeline and Serar * Sol, sun titan, NG, symbol: the Sun, twin child of Adeline and Serar * Deonae, drow demigoddess of spiders, CE symbol: an eight legged spider, child of Adriel. Vestiges He Who Was, the long-acknowledged god and creator of all races who was slain by another being of great power, Gruoxhur.